Railway-switch



(No Model.)

J. E. ROBINSON.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 414,587. Patented Nov. 5, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicEe JAMES E. ROBINSON, OF COX/'IIN rON, ononom.

'RAI I wAY-swlToIV-l.l

SPECIFICIION forming part of Letters .Patent No. 414,58*?, dated November 5, 1889. Application filed August 12, 1889. Serial No. 320,514. (No model.)

' claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a railroadswitoh embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detailed perspective vieur of one of the pivotplates for the switch-rails. Fig. 4 is a similar view of one of the tie-rods.

A represents the rails of the main track.

B represents the side-track rails. At the location of the switch the main-track rails have one side secured to the ties C by means of the usual spikes D. The opposite sides of the vmain-track rails on the sides adjacent to the side-track rails have their base-tlanges engaged by arms or lugs E, formed on the ends'of slide-plates F. The said slide-plates are spiked to the ties and are arranged at right angles to the main-track rails, their lugs E being formed at the outer ends of central longitudinal webs or dan ges Gr, formed on their upper sides.

The ends of the side-track rails where they approach the main-track rails are inserted in keepers H, formed by pairs of parallel lugs I, which lugs are formed on the upper sides of pivot-plates K. The said pivotplates are of the shape shown, being substantially square, and have flanges L on their sides adjacent to the main-track rails, the said iianges bearing on the baseiiai1ges of the main-track rails,vas shown. The sait'lpivot-plates are secured on the ties by spikes M.

The switch-rails N are supported their entire length on the slide-plates F and have their inner ends supported on chairs O, that bear on the pivot-plates, and are provided with outward-extending arms P, pivoted on vertical trunnions R, with. which. the pivotplates are provided. The confined ends of the switchr'ails rest in recesses S in the chairs and are bolted therein. The said switch-rails, being supported their ent-ire length on the slide-plates F, are in a higher plane than the main-track rails, and the free ends of the switclirails are out away, as at T, thereby forming extending arms or heads U, that are adapted to ride over the main-track rails and to lie lightly thereon when the switch is set for the side track.A The said free ends of the switch-rails have their upper sides beveled to form inclines V, which serve to gradually raise the treads of the wheels ot' a passing train from the level of the main track to that of. the'switch-rails, so that the wheels pass over the main-track rails without touching them when on the switch. Each switch-rail is provided on the side facing from the adjacent track-rail with a base.tlange NV, the said base-flanges supporting the switch-rails on the slide-plates. TierodsX are employed to connect the switch-rails together and cause them to move in unison and preserve them in parallelism. The said tie-rods have one end bifurcated to form ears Y, which engage the base-flange of one of the switch-rails and are pivoted thereto by bolts Z, and the opposite ends of the tie-rods pass under the other switchrail and are curved up under the same to form arms A', the said arms being formed with pairs of ears B', which engage the baseiiange of the adjacent switch-rail and are piv- Oted thereto by means of bolts C. Oftsets or curves D are formed in the tie-rods, as shown.

The switch-rails are connected to a crankshaft E by means of a link F', and the crankshaft has a lever G', by which the switch-rails may be operated.

A switch thus constructed is advantageous, for the reason that it leaves the main-track rails unbroken, and for the further reason that a train on the main track running in the direction of the arrow in Fig. l may pass the switch when the latter is set for the side track Awithout the danger of being derailed, thc

crank not beingon a dead-center when thrown over.

It will be understood that the slide and pivot plates not only servo their purposes as such, butaiso serve to fasten the main-traok With-.the sWitch-raiisofth-etiemodsX, having rails t0 theeross-ties.

Having thus described 1ny invention, I e1airn- 1. In a railroad-switch, the combination,

with the main. and. side .track rails, of the pivot-plates K, having the keepers H for the ends of the side-track rails, the chairs O, pivoted onvthe pivot-plates and having the recesses S for the inner ends of the switch-rails, and the slide-plates F, supporting the switchrails, said slide-plates and pivot-plateshaving the proj eating lugs or ianges bearing on the base-flan ges of the main-track rails, substan-` tially as described.

.-2. In .fa 'rail-roadfswiteh, the combination,

the offsets or curves D and having their ends provided with ears pivoted to the baseianges of the switch-rails, one end of each tie-rod being bent under and partly around one of the'sWitch-rails, as at A ,substantially as described.

I In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. ROBINSON.

' Witnesses:

JN0. FQHENDERsoN',

JOHN P. HARRIS. 

